Learn to plant vines
Join the Men’s Club of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim on Thursday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. for a virtual presentation of Wine On The Vine, a project of The Israeli Innovation Fund.
Learn how you can plant a vine, start a vine bank or even plant a vineyard. This alternative to planting trees helps Israeli wineries and benefits the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and CSS.
There is no charge for this event. Call Paul Kaplan at 215-677-1600. ••
Upcoming programs at CSS
Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be hosting a virtual fundraiser on Sunday, May 23, at 4 p.m. It will feature a tour of the Carmel Market of Tel Aviv (Shuk), titled From Our Jewish Home to Our Jewish Homeland, led by Danny Stein.
On Monday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m., David Jaison will present Mentalism Beyond Belief.
On Tuesday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m. there will be a showing of the movie Holy Land Hardball – the dream to bring America’s favorite pastime of baseball to the Middle East.
The cost for this weekend is $40 per program or $80 for all three. Checks must be received by May 19 and include your email address.
Mail your checks to the CSS office at 9768 Verree Road, Philadelphia, PA 19115. For further information or to inquire about sponsorship categories, call the synagogue office at 215-677-1600. ••
Tea will celebrate Golda Meir
The Sisterhood of the Congregations of Shaare Shamayim invites the public to join them for their virtual Tea with Golda on Monday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m.
The cost is $18 per person. The program will be a presentation on the life Golda Meir, presented by Maxine Goldman.
Each participant will receive a packet of pictures and data. RSVPs are needed by April 15.
Mail your checks payable to the Sisterhood of CSS, along with your email address, to 9768 Verree Road, Philadelphia, PA 19115. For further information, call Gita Farbman at 215-677-1600. ••
Free Yiddish Bingo
The Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be hosting a virtual general meeting on Tuesday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m.
The program will be Yiddish Bingo. There is no charge.
Call the synagogue office at 215-677-1600 to provide your email address. Materials and a meeting link will be forwarded. ••
REUNIONS
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
- George C. Thomas. All classes. Oct. 2. 7-11 p.m. Galdo’s, 20th Street and Moyamensing Avenue. $75. Checks or money orders made payable to Karen Kelly-Mandl, P.O. Box 87, Hainesport, NJ 08036. [email protected] or facebook.com/events/753740381820658/?active_tab=about.
HIGH SCHOOLS
- Abraham Lincoln, class of 1960. Oct. 10. Brookside Manor at Somerton Springs. DJ, open bar, buffet, cake, pastry table. Betty Harrison, [email protected].
- Father Judge and St. Hubert. All classes. Saturday, Aug. 7. Seaport Pier, North Wildwood.
- Little Flower. Class of 1970. April 24. [email protected].
- St. Hubert, class of 1960. April 17. 1-5 p.m. Maltese Room, 2049 Bristol Pike, Bensalem. Lorraine Jent Hepp, 215-624-6764 or [email protected]. Charlene Ritchie, 215-624-6840 (Ext. 1531) or [email protected].
- St. Joseph’s Prep, classes 1975. ‘80, ‘85, ‘90, ‘95, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. Saturday, Oct. 2, at the school, 1733 W. Girard Ave. 215-978-1950.
- S. Phila. High, class of 1968. Oct. 16, from noon to 4 p.m., at the Waterfall Room, 2015 S. Water St. Tickets cost $55 and include an open bar and buffet luncheon. Checks can be made payable to SPHS Class of 1968 and mailed to Maria Leati, 26 Old Republic Lane, Marlton, NJ 08053. For tickets and information, contact Stephen Michielli at 267-252-2740 or [email protected]. ••
OTHER REUNIONS
Navy Reunions
- Visit HullNumber.com for a listing of reunions. The site is a free service enabling Navy shipmates to renew old friendships. There are currently more than 8,700 Navy ship, submarine and air squadron personnel rosters listed. ••
Virtual discussion on scrolls
The adult education committee of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim invites the public to a virtual discussion about Czech Torah scrolls on Wednesday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Lois Roman, a trustee of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, will explain how this London-based nonprofit agency oversees the legacy of 1,504 Czech Torah scrolls that survived the Shoah. A large majority of these scrolls have been dispersed on permanent loan to caring communities around the world.
In fact, CSS has one in its lobby. There is no charge for this program, but donations are appreciated.
For more information, call Denise at 215-677-1700. ••
Vaccinated long-term care residents can have close contact with loved ones
State officials recently updated nursing home visitation guidance. There is no substitute for physical contact, such as the warm embrace between a resident and a loved one. Therefore, if the resident is fully vaccinated, they can choose to have close contact, including touch, with their visitor while wearing a well-fitted mask. Visitors should physically distance from other residents and staff in the facility.
All long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania are encouraged to implement the new guidance immediately.
The guidance also states that facilities should allow responsible indoor visitation at all times for all residents, regardless of vaccination status of the resident or visitor, unless certain scenarios arise that would limit visitation for:
- Unvaccinated residents, if the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10 percent and less than 70 percent of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated
- Residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met the criteria to discontinue transmission-based precautions
- Residents in quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine
The updated guidance also emphasizes that “compassionate care” visits, such as an end-of-life situation or a resident in decline or distress, should be allowed at all times, regardless of a resident’s vaccination status, the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate or an outbreak.
“The restrictions on visitations in long-term care facilities during the past year have been extremely difficult for residents, their families and friends. This human interaction and engagement is such a major and much-missed part of life, especially since these connections provide critical support for the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of older adults,” said Aging Secretary Robert Torres. “The resumption of visitations, with the exercise of great care and caution, will finally provide much-needed relief and hope for long-term care residents and their loved ones.” ••
St. Mary to host free webinar on colorectal cancer risk
In recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, St. Mary Cancer Center in Langhorne will host a free webinar on understanding your risk for colorectal cancer.
The virtual event will take place on Thursday, March 25, from 5 to 5:45 p.m. The webinar will be led by St. Mary Surgical Associates Langhorne board-certified general surgeon Esther Cha, MD. Cha, who also is fellowship-trained in colorectal surgery, will review a variety of topics such as colorectal cancer warning signs and what steps you can take to reduce your risk. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions.
The webinar is free, but registration is required. To register, visit trinityhealthma.org/cha-webinar. Upon registration, an event link will be emailed to you. ••
